All posts tagged ‘Revolimb’

Sometimes inspiration comes when you least expect it. Joe Mahon knows this all too well. He was sharing a chair lift with his wife when he realized the simple answer to a common problem. The revelation changed the way he’s spent his free time ever since. The problem that Joe is hoping to fix isn’t one that faces everyone; just those of us who happen to be part robot and have carbon fiber or electronics replacing one of our limbs.

Me and my prosthetist, Joe Mahon

Joe is my prosthetist. He’s the guy who makes arms and legs every day at his company, called Peak Prosthetic Designs. He’s the reason I live a pretty normal life with my prosthetic leg. While others in the field spend their time coming up with fancy new feet or robot arms, Joe spends his time looking for simple fixes that will make the socket that slides onto my residual limb more comfortable. Like he always says, “If your leg isn’t comfortable, then who gives a crap how expensive or amazing your foot is?”

Joe has a lot of experience making limbs for amputees in Haiti. He began the trips in 2001, and after the earthquake in 2010 he went every month for 10 straight months. He was often frustrated when he watched a new patient walk out the door with a new limb, knowing if it ever needed adjustments (which most prosthetic limbs do), there was nowhere to turn.

Residual limbs often change in volume. Heat, humidity, weight loss, weight gain…. There are many reasons a socket on a prosthetic leg might not fit correctly. When I take long car rides it’s not uncommon for me to take my leg off and throw it in the back seat. It gets too tight when I sit for too long.

When I walk a lot, ride my bike, or am generally very active, my residual limb shrinks. If I’m extra good about watching what I eat and drop a few pounds, my leg shrinks. I’ve even noticed that when I’m sick for more than a day or two, my leg will temporarily shrink.

To those of us in developed countries, the answers are easier. If I have a volume change in my leg (like losing weight and keeping it off…. I’ve heard rumors that can happen) I can just schedule a five-minute visit to my prosthetist. With a few socket adjustments, I’m once again comfortable. For a Haitian farmer, it’s not so easy. Once his limb changes shape or volume, he’s out of luck. If he needs adjustments, there is no local prosthetist to tweak his fit. He’s left living with a leg that isn’t comfortable and eventually unusable. Joe couldn’t stop thinking about the Haitian amputees he’d left behind and wondering how he could help them have a better quality of life. Continue Reading “A Revolution in Prosthetic Limbs” »